Andy Jouan

New Religion (Have you washed your hands?)

Charcoal, Collage and Acrylic on Paper_530 x 430 mm, 2020.

“Have you washed your hands?”

During the First Wave there were lots of catchphrases put out “Social Distancing” probably being the most highlighted and with our time at home I began to ponder on what else have we distanced ourselves from if we truly look at ourselves. The idea of the world being a mirror, the Micro and Macro, a Virus using it’s host to survive and reproduce.

‘A virus has a single objective: to reproduce. There is actually a debate about whether viruses are alive (I would say yes). What is clear is that they are obligate parasites in that they rely on cellular components to replicate – in the case of SARS-CoV-2, the virus relies on our cellular components to multiply.’ Science Museum Group

As I look at the environment and attitudes to protect our own comforts at the expense of others, I can’t help but see our similar behaviour, what else have we washed our hands of?